Hawthorn supporter reportedly thrown out of MCG for racial slur against Heritier Lumumba

Anna Whitelaw

A Hawthorn fan was reportedly escorted from the MCG on Friday night after making a racial slur against Brazilian-born Collingwood footballer Heritier Lumumba.

In the dying moments of the Hawks' 65-point win over Collingwood, a Hawthorn supporter sitting in the members' reserve was said to have yelled out to Collingwood defender Lumumba to "f*** off back to Brazil".

Heritier Lumumba (left) during a match against Fremantle earlier in the year. Photo: Pat Scala

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The slur was overheard by a group of Brazilian Collingwood supporters a few rows away, sparking a verbal row, according to a spectator who contacted The Age.

Supporters from both teams who overheard the comment subsequently called for the Hawthorn fan – a man aged in his late 20s – to be evicted from the match.

However, the spectator told The Age that when an MCG attendant came over to defuse the incident, he sat joking with the man and his friends, and declined to kick them out.

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The spectator – who did not want to be named – said the MCG attendant instead motioned to the crowd that there were "only a few minutes left in the game" so evicting the man wasn't necessary.

A spectator subsequently made a complaint to the Melbourne Cricket Club regarding its handling of the incident.

"It was really disappointing to see the [lack of action] from the MCG attendant. The way it was handled certainly escalated the situation. You can't pick and choose when to take a stand on these issues," the spectator said.

The spectator said that ultimately, the Hawthorn supporter and his two friends were escorted from the arena after the final siren when a fellow Hawthorn fan attending the game with his children tried to intervene in the altercation and was reportedly pushed by the trio.

The Collingwood premiership player Lumumba who was born in Rio de Janeiro and has a Brazilian mother and Congalese father, last year changed his name from Harry O'Brien back to his birth name.

This incident comes after a Western Bulldogs fan was last week fined by police for making racial slurs against Sydney Swans players Buddy Franklin and Adam Goodes.

A Melbourne Cricket Club spokesperson said it was not aware of any incident.

Nor were Hawthorn or Collingwood when asked about it on Saturday morning. Hawthorn indicated it would investigate the matter.

Hawks CEO Stuart Fox indicated the club was looking into the matter.

"The Club has been in contact with the MCC and AFL and is currently trying to ascertain whether the patron, who was sitting in the AFL members' reserve, is a Hawthorn member. We would remind all members, supporters and footy fans that Hawthorn Football Club has a zero tolerance approach towards anyone who racially vilifies a player, official or patron," Fox said.

Lumumba did not make a complaint following the match. His family members, who were in attendance, were not affected as they were sitting on the other side of the ground.

The AFL and its clubs continue to actively attempt to stamp out racism through educational initiatives, the indigenous round, and the league's backing of the 'Recognise' campaign, which seeks to have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people included in the constitution.

Despite the AFL's efforts, incidents of racist comments continue to occur at its stadia.

Swans' indigenous players were subject to racial taunts during a game against Essendon earlier in round nine, for which a Bombers supporter's membership was revoked. Melbourne's Neville Jetta had a week earlier been the target of comments from a Bulldogs supporter.

In 2013, Goodes was lauded for his courage after identifying a 13-year-old Collingwood fan who called him an ape. The incident precipitated Eddie McGuire's infamous 'King Kong' comments on Triple M.